CPSIA means new Dark Ages for American children
Everyone who loves books and reading must immediately contact Congress, the Obamas, and the Bushes, to urge a stay of execution for children's books. As of Feb. 10, books for ages 12 and under, may not be sold unless they are tested for lead under a new consumer product safety law. This includes chapter books, such as my Bailey Fish Adventures and my new book, which just came off press, called "Mudd Saves the Earth: Booger Glue, Cow Diapers, and Other Good Ideas." As readers know, these books promote environmental awareness and good stewardship. They are printed by an excellent book manufacturer in Illinois. The law makes no distinction between American-manufactured books and junk toys or products made oversees. It relates to everyone and everything designed for children. Think about it? Cereal boxes? Happy Meal containers? Playground equipment?
The law, although well-intentioned, is absurd for many reasons.
1. The time frame. The law was signed by the president in August and takes effect Feb. 10, and we first heard about it this week when we received a notice from Amazon.com to test or else.
2. Nobody can tell us the cost or how to go about it. That includes the CPSC. Their hotline said to e-mail the. I did, but no response. And I've had no response so far from my senators, Congressman, the Obama transition team or the White House. And meanwhile, time is running out.
3. The law is well intentioned--to save young children from nasty chemicals--but what's to keep a book-eating toddler from "eating" his parent's dictionary, or his mother's novel after he chews one one of my books? Yet adult books are exempt from testing. Frankly, he is more likely to be harmed by second-, or third-hand smoke in his environment, and that still is widely available to all.
4. The bill will be costly, not only to authors and publishers, but to libraries and schools, who apparently must test their children's collections or remove them from shelves. You see, in its wisdom, drafters of the bill made it retroactive. So, it doesn't just apply to new products, produced or printed after Feb. 10, but to everything already in collections.
I hope sanity is restored and not lost in the inauguration frenzy. If you love books, act now. Literacy depends on it. We don't want to return to the Dark Ages and book burning.
The law, although well-intentioned, is absurd for many reasons.
1. The time frame. The law was signed by the president in August and takes effect Feb. 10, and we first heard about it this week when we received a notice from Amazon.com to test or else.
2. Nobody can tell us the cost or how to go about it. That includes the CPSC. Their hotline said to e-mail the. I did, but no response. And I've had no response so far from my senators, Congressman, the Obama transition team or the White House. And meanwhile, time is running out.
3. The law is well intentioned--to save young children from nasty chemicals--but what's to keep a book-eating toddler from "eating" his parent's dictionary, or his mother's novel after he chews one one of my books? Yet adult books are exempt from testing. Frankly, he is more likely to be harmed by second-, or third-hand smoke in his environment, and that still is widely available to all.
4. The bill will be costly, not only to authors and publishers, but to libraries and schools, who apparently must test their children's collections or remove them from shelves. You see, in its wisdom, drafters of the bill made it retroactive. So, it doesn't just apply to new products, produced or printed after Feb. 10, but to everything already in collections.
I hope sanity is restored and not lost in the inauguration frenzy. If you love books, act now. Literacy depends on it. We don't want to return to the Dark Ages and book burning.
Labels: children's books lead environment, CPSIA
posted by Linda Salisbury at 4:21 AM
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